Q. In the last two years, do you think your and your household’s income has gone up more than the cost of living, fallen behind or stayed even with the cost of living?

Total

Work full time

Work part time

Income less than $600 pw

Income $600-$1,000

pw

Income $1,000-$1,500 pw

Income $1,500 – $2,000 pw

Income $2,000+ pw

Oct 2014

Mar 2015

Nov 2015

Feb 2016

Gone up more

15%

22%

15%

11%

11%

13%

21%

21%

13%

15%

14%

13%

Fallen behind

53%

47%

54%

69%

58%

54%

50%

42%

48%

50%

54%

51%

Stayed even

25%

24%

27%

14%

25%

25%

26%

34%

31%

27%

26%

29%

Don’t know

6%

7%

5%

6%

6%

8%

3%

3%

8%

7%

5%

7%

53% (up 2% since February 2016) believe that, in the last two years, their income has fallen behind the cost of living. 25% (down 4%) think it has stayed even with the cost of living and 15% (up 2%) think it has gone up more.

69% of those earning under $600 pw and 58% of those earning $600-1,000 pw think their income has fallen behind while 55% of those earning over $2,000 pw think it has stayed the same or gone up.